ency by declaring that he had entertained no
other idea than that of allowing his subjects of the "pretended" reformed
faith time and opportunity for returning to the bosom of the only true
church. Lovers of peace and good order among the Germans were warned that
they had no worse enemies than the insubordinate and rebellious Huguenots
of his Very Christian Majesty's dominions, while the adherents of the
Augsburg Confession were distinctly given to understand that Lutheranism
was safer with the Turk than where Calvin's doctrines were professed.[594]

To influence the princes the offices of skilled diplomatists were called
into requisition, but to no purpose. When Blandy requested the emperor, in
Charles's name, to prevent any succor from being sent to Conde from
Germany, Maximilian replied by counselling his good friend the king to
seek means to restore concord and harmony among his subjects, and
professing his own inability to restrain the levy of auxiliary troops. And
from Duke John William, of Saxony, the same envoy only obtained
expressions of regret that the war so lately suppressed had broken out
anew, and of discontent on the part of the German princes at the rumor
that Charles had been so ill advised as to join in a league made by the
Pope and the King of Spain, with the view of overwhelming the
Protestants.[595]

[Sidenote: A "crusade" preached at Toulouse.]

On the other hand, the new direction taken by Catharine met with the most
decided favor on the part of the fanatical populace, and the pulpits
resounded with praise of the complete abrogation of all compacts with
heresy. The Roman Catholic party in Toulouse acted so promptly,
anticipating even the orders of the royal court, as to make it evident
that they had been long preparing for the struggle. On Sunday, the twelfth
of September, a league for the extermination of heresy was published,
under the name of a _crusade_. A priest delivered a sermon with the
consent of the Parliament of Toulouse. Next day all who desired to join in
the bloody work met in the cathedral dedicated to St. Stephen--the
Christian protomartyr having, by an irony of history, more than once been
made a witness of acts more congenial to the spirit of his persecutors
than to his own--and prepared themselves for their undertaking by a common
profession of their faith, by an oath to expose their lives and property
for the maintenance of the Roman Catholic religion, and by confession and